2 : Your Workspace
Prepare your soldering equipment, and lay the Main Board on its front - with the N32 Logo facing towards you.
Diy Kit Assembly Guide
1 : Preparation
To assemble the DIY Kit, you will need:
- Soldering equipment
- Flux
- USB-C Data Cable
- Multimeter for continuity checks
- Scissors / Snipping tool
- Tape (Preferably Kapton)
- 1.5 mm Hex Allen Key
- IPA for cleaning (Not mandatory)
3 : Position the ESP32
Shift your focus to the top-left corner of the board.
Position the ESP32 Module on its footprint and add plenty of flux.
Heat up your soldering iron to a temperature no higher than 350°C. Higher temperatures can damage the chip beyond repair.
4 : Solder 1 pin on the ESP32
Doing this allows us to see whether the module moved, shifted, or rotated within its footprint before we solder any further.
Since only one pin now constrains the module's movement, we can easily readjust the ESP's position by reflowing the single pin.
5 : Solder remaining ESP32 pins
We recommend the drag soldering technique for this step.
Reapplying flux also makes this process a lot easier.
6 : Check for bridges
Utilizing the continuity-checking function on your multimeter, check for bridges between all of the neighbouring pins.
Any bridges between adjacent pins not resolved at this point can damage the device beyond repair.
We recommend doing 2-3 passes on the chip, just to be sure that no bridges are present.
If any do show up, simply reflowing them can fix the issue, but if it doesn't, use solderwick and resolder the troublesome pins.
7 : Tin a pad under the Jack
Shift your focus to the top-right corner of the board.
Tinning one of the pads will make it easier to position the 3.5 mm Jack.
8 : Position the Jack
While keeping the solder on the tinned pad melted with your soldering iron, position the 3.5 mm Jack onto the Main Board.
Ensure that the Jack is laid flat on the surface of the PCB.
9 : Solder remaining Jack pins
Solder the rest of the 3.5 mm Jack pins accordingly.
Keep the soldering short, as excessive heat can melt the plastic Jack.
After doing so, it is a good time to clean this side of the PCB with IPA, but it is not mandatory.
Flip the board to the front.
10 : Prepare the A button
Cut off the top-left leg of one of the buttons.
11 : Solder the A button
Solder the A button, but do not solder the cut-off pin, or the plated through hole underneath it.
12 : Prepare 3 buttons
Prepare 3 buttons, and trim all of their pins to half-length.
13 : Solder trimmed buttons
Solder the trimmed buttons into these 3 slots (SW5, SW11, SW12).
Then, make sure that the solder doesn't protrude too much from the back side of the PCB.
14 : Solder remaining buttons
Solder the rest of the buttons in a regular manner.
The remaining buttons can protrude from the back side of the board. No trimming is required.
Now prepare the Display.
15 : Line up the display
Shift your attention to the middle of the PCB.
Gently unfold the ribbon cable from the Display and align it with the "^RIBBON" marking.
Prepare a small piece of tape (preferably Kapton).
16 : Tape down the ribbon cable
Very gently tape down the ribbon cable in the appropriate position.
Make sure that the pins lie flat on the PCB, and their flexibility doesn't lift them upward.
17 : Check display alignment
Gently lay the Display down on the board and check if it is aligned properly.
Sometimes the screen can tilt or slightly shift, even if the ribbon cable seems to be taped down perfectly.
The silkscreen markings can help you with this step.
18 : Flux and solder the display
Flux is your best friend in this step.
Apply a healthy amount of it, and only proceed to solder the connector.
When you finish soldering, double-check the continuity between the pads and the ribbon cable pins.
Any bridges in this step can damage the device beyong repair.
Make sure that no neighboring pins are bridged. (Excluding Pins 5, 6, 7, 8)
19 : Align and secure the display
We have recently started shipping our displays with double-sided foam tape on the back, to get rid of device rattle.
You can't revisit the display's solder pads after taping it down. Please double-check for solder bridges as instructed in the previous step.
After that you can peel off the red tab from the tape, and gently fold the screen back down to secure it in place.
Do not apply unnecessary pressure to the screen. Very gently pressing it down with the palm of your hand is enough to lock it in place.
20 : Prep your workspace
For the next steps, put the Main Board aside, and prepare:
- 4x M2 Heated Inserts
- Top-Half of the case
- Clean soldering iron / Heat insert setter
We will be setting heated inserts into the 4 corners of the Top-Half of the case.
21 : Set one Heated insert to half-depth
Heat your soldering iron to about 200°C
Pointing your soldering iron straight down, press the insert into the plastic.
Don't force it, allow the insert to gently sink into the material.
This step allows you to make an inspection in the next one and prevent alignment headaches later on.
22 : Check insert alignment
Temporarily place the other half of the case on top of the top half.
Align them together as well as you can, and look at the insert you have just set through the hole.
Make sure that you can clearly see the insert, and it is centered within the hole.
If it is not perfect on the first try - don't worry! We have set it to only half the depth, exactly in case this happens.
23 : Set remaining inserts
Follow the previous 2 steps for each one of the 4 inserts.
Readjust them as many times as you need, but make sure they are seated firmly within the plastic case.
24 : Prep your workspace
Set the top half of the case aside, and prepare:
- The Battery
- The Speaker
- The Bottom case half
- Buttons
25 : Insert the Battery
Gently press the battery into its cavity.
Make sure the cables come out through the cutout on the bottom of the battery cavity.
26 : Insert the Speaker
Peel off the sticker tab underneath the speaker, and stick it into its cavity.
Wrap the wires so they stick out towards the bottom of the case, like in the picture.
27 : Place the cotton pad
We have recently started shipping our kits with an additional cotton Pad to prevent device rattle further.
Place it loosely or stick it on top of the battery before proceeding.
28 : Insert the Main Board
Place the Main Board over the previously inserted components.
Make sure the PCB is laid flat on the case.
Feed the connectors from the Battery and Speaker through their designated cutouts in the PCB.
29 : Plug the JST connectors
Plug in the JST connectors from the Battery and Speaker into their receptacles.
30 : Ensure Battery Polarity
Prepare your multimeter, and set it to read DC Voltage up to 20V.
Place the negative (Black) probe on Test Pad 5 (TP5) and the positive (Red) probe on Test Pad 4 (TP4).
The voltage should read anywhere between ~3.7V and ~4.2V. (Approx.)
If the battery voltage reads negative (e.g., -3.8V), immediately unplug the battery connector.
Double-check whether your probe placement was correct (Negative = TP5, Positive=TP4).
If the voltage persists as negative, contact support.
31 : Prepare for Flashing
Connect the device to a computer with a USB-C cable.
Make sure the cable you use supports data transfer and is not power-only.
32 : Enable Bootloader Mode
Turn on the device, and perform this sequence, by pressing the surface-mounted buttons on the PCB:
- Press and hold BOOT
- Click EN
- Let go of BOOT
This will allow the firmware to be flashed onto the onboard ESP32 chip.
33 : Download Nevolta ESFlash
Download the open-source flashing utility developed in-house at Nevolta Systems from the link below:
34 : Select the COM Port
Select the COM port of the console from the list.
If you are unsure about which port it occupies, simply reconnect it and hit "Scan" to see which COM port it reappears as.
35 : Select the firmware .IMG file
Browse for the disk image file bundled along with ESFlash, and select it.
Newer versions of the firmware might be available, so look for the latest one on GitHub.
36 : Flash!
Hit "Flash Disk Image" to begin the flashing process and follow the instructions given by the utility.
After successfully doing so, restart the device to test the firmware.
37 : Button-up the case
Place the buttons in their corresponding slots on the console.
Ensure that the A and B buttons are in the correct orientation. (They are the only asymmetrical buttons).
38 : Position switch covers
Place the switch covers over the switch tips for both the Audio Switch and the Power Switch.
Ensure that the lip sticking out of the switch cover is positioned towards the top of the console.
The covers should loosely fit the switch tips.
39 : Prep for final assembly
Lay both case pieces flat. Rotate the Top Half upside down and place it beneath the Bottom Half, like in the picture.
Have your 4x M2 Screws and the 1.5 mm Hex Allen Key on standby, within arm's reach.
40 : Assemble the two halves
This step requires some patience and may take a couple of tries.
Fold the two halves towards each other while gripping the screen with your thumb.
Mind the cutouts for the USB receptacle and the power switch cover.
Don't over-tilt the Top case half so that the placed buttons don't fall out of it.
If everything went smoothly, grip the device tightly together.
41 : Screw the device together
Screw in the 4x M2 Screws with your 1.5 mm Hex Allen Key in a star pattern.
Don't overtighten them. Screw them in one by one gently until the device is held together tightly.
